AFCON 2023: French Ligue 1 braces for impact as African players depart

The impending departure of several key players to represent their respective national teams is set to heavily impact French Ligue 1.

The StatsOMP site has meticulously mapped out the players selected by club, revealing the magnitude of the influence on various teams.

Olympique de Marseille (OM) emerges as the most significantly affected club, along with Le Havre and Lorient, as a notable nine (9) players are slated to embark on their AFCON journey in Ivory Coast.

Following closely is RC Lens, facing seven (7) player departures, while Montpellier ranks third with six (6) players set to participate.

FC Nantes will navigate the league without five (5) Canaries during the AFCON period, while Olympique Lyonnais (OL) is set to send four (4) of its players to the prestigious tournament.

Contrastingly, LOSC, with two (2) selected players, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with just one (1), find themselves relatively unscathed in terms of player departures during the AFCON.

The Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to unfold from January 13 to February 11, 2024, in Ivory Coast. Over the course of four weeks, Ligue 1 clubs will grapple with the absence of key players, impacting four matchdays and two rounds of the Coupe de France (Round of 16 and Quarterfinals).

The forthcoming weeks promise a challenging period for French football, as clubs navigate the competition without key contributors vying for continental glory on the African stage.